Love is Blind
by McMousie
Summary: Hiei is asked to show a new student around the school. He finds himself attracted to the other boy.
1. Chapter 1

Hiei Jaganshi stalked down the hall of the school, frowning with irritation. He'd been summoned to the principal's office for the second time that term.

As he approached the door to the principal's office he noticed that someone else sat on one of the chairs outside the office. The person seemed to be about the same age as Hiei and was wearing the same dark blue uniform. They had to be a classmate but Hiei didn't recognize them. Hiei was not entirely sure whether it was a boy or a girl. Though the uniform was identical to Hiei's, the long, red hair rendered the person's appearance quite androgynous. He shrugged and sat down several chairs along from the redhead. The redhead's face turned in his direction, lips turning up into a soft smile.

"Hello," he/she said in a friendly tone.

"Hn," Hiei responded, not wanting to get into a conversation with the other student.

The redhead frowned, but much to Hiei's relief, turned to face ahead without any further comment. They sat for several minutes in silence until the door of the office opened.

"Mr. Jaganshi?" the principal asked. "Come in, please."

Hiei rose and followed Mr. Takanaka into his office. He slumped down into one of the chairs in front of the desk.

The principal of the school was a middle-aged man with thinning brown hair and thick eyebrows. He had a reputation for being firm but kindly. He took a particular interest in students with behaviour problems, something that had earned him Hiei's respect. Hiei was aware that he was not well liked by most of his teachers, but Mr. Takanaka always gave him a fair hearing.

"Mr. Jaganshi, I'll get straight to the point. You are on the cusp of being expelled," the principal told him. "You are constantly getting into fights and antagonizing your teachers."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "I don't start the fights," he grumbled. "I just finish them."

Mr. Takanaka's expression darkened. "Mr. Jaganshi, this is very serious," he said sternly. "This is your last chance. If your behaviour does not show improvement I will have no choice but to expel you. I feel that would be a shame as I think that you are actually a very intelligent boy under all that attitude. I've managed to convince the faculty to give you one last chance."

One last chance? Hiei frowned. His sister attended this school and he knew that she would be very disappointed if he were expelled. "What do I have to do?" he asked reluctantly.

"We have a new student arriving today," the principal said. "I've assigned him as your roommate and I expect you to show him around and watch over him."

"Do you mean that I don't have to room with that idiot Kuwabara anymore?" Hiei demanded. This might actually be a good thing.

The principal stared disapprovingly at him. "Mr. Kuwabara was equally as excited at the news, I assure you," he informed Hiei. "It seems that his opinion of you is as low as yours is of him."

"So you want me to babysit," Hiei said. "What's wrong with this guy anyway? Why does he need a babysitter?"

The principal frowned at him but rose and went to the door. He opened it and called out, "Mr. Minamino? This way, please."

A moment later, Mr. Takanaka was guiding the redheaded person who'd been waiting outside into the room. Hiei watched, puzzled, as Mr. Takanaka showed Minamino to the chair beside Hiei. The boy moved awkwardly around the chair, Takanaka hovering over him until he'd settled himself in the seat.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Minamino," Takanaka said. "Beside you is your new roommate, Hiei Jaganshi. He will be showing you around the school and helping you get your bearings. The two of you are also in the same class."

Minamino turned towards Hiei with a friendly smile plastered across his face. "I am Shuichi Minamino," he told Hiei. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

For a moment, Hiei couldn't speak. Out in the hall he had only caught a glimpse of the redhead's face. Now he could see that the boy's face was fine-boned and his eyes were an enchanting shade of forest green. Hiei would not have been surprised to learn that he was a model. He swallowed.

"Hiei?" The principal's voice cut through the air and Hiei jumped. He realized that he'd been staring at the redhead for far too long. The redhead now wore a look of confusion.

"Ah..." Hiei couldn't even remember what the redhead had said. Something about his name?

"Mr. Jaganshi, I mean it when I say this is your last chance," the principal snapped. "I do hope you take it seriously."

Minamino's head swivelled in the principal's direction. Hiei was surprised when the boy said, "Will that be all, Mr. Takanaka?"

The principal sighed. "Yes, you can both go," he said. "Please let me know if you have any problems, Mr. Minamino." He turned a pointed look on Hiei. There was a silent warning there, Hiei knew.

The redhead stood, edging around the chair until he was behind it, hand resting on the back of it. Hiei watched in confusion as the redhead reached into his bookbag and pulled out what appeared to be a folded-up cane. He held the black handle of the cane and let the rest of it drop. Each segment locked into place to form a rigid stick. On the end of it was a white ball.

"Shall we go?" Minamino asked Hiei with a smile.

Hiei turned back to the principal, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Mr. Minamino is blind," Mr. Takanaka explained.

Hiei resisted the urge to groan. No wonder he needed babysitting. He stomped towards the door, holding it open when he reached it.

"Hurry up," he told the other boy, ignoring Mr. Takanaka's disapproving frown.

Minamino walked through the door, the cane held out in front of him as he swept it from side to side, the ball rolling across the linoleum. He waited patiently for Hiei in the hall as the dark haired boy closed the door behind him.

Hiei took hold of the boy's arm and began to tug him down the hall towards their classroom. They were already late.

"Excuse me," Minamino said softly, after stumbling several steps alongside him.

"What?" Hiei demanded, stopping and turning to him.

"If you don't mind, I would be more comfortable if you allowed me to hold your arm," Minamino said.

Hiei frowned and released the other boy. Minamino reached forward tentatively, his hand gliding lightly up Hiei's arm. Hiei couldn't help the blush rising on his cheeks at the touch. He thanked God that Minamino couldn't see it. Minamino gripped his upper arm in a light hold.

"Ready?" Hiei demanded, his embarrassment at his own reaction making the word come out harsher than he'd intended. Minamino's head dropped towards the ground, long hair falling to cover his face.

"Yes," he said quietly. "I am sorry if I am inconveniencing you."

Now Hiei felt awful. He hadn't meant to make the boy feel bad but he didn't know how to respond so instead he began walking in the direction of the classroom, Minamino walking beside him in silence, head still lowered.

This sucks, Hiei thought.


	2. Chapter 2

The teacher gave Hiei a disapproving look when he entered the classroom. His fellow classmates stared at him.

"Mr. Jaganshi, you are late again," she said. Then she noticed Minamino beside him holding onto his arm. "Oh, I see. Never mind," she said. "Take a seat, both of you."

Hiei led Minamino to two spare seats side by side. Minamino sat down in one and Hiei took the other.

The teacher cleared her throat to gain the attention of her class, who were still staring at the new student. "As you can all see, we have a new student. I expect all of you to treat Mr. Minamino respectfully and assist him when necessary."

Minamino ducked down to place his folded-up cane on the floor at his feet. Then he reached into his bag and pulled out a laptop.

The teacher returned to her lesson but Hiei was distracted by Minamino. He was curious about how the redhead would handle his classwork. As Hiei observed him, he put an earbud into his ear.

As the lesson went on, Hiei noticed that his teacher read out everything she wrote on the chalkboard as she wrote it. Minamino seemed to be keeping up with the lesson. This was confirmed when he was called on to answer a question and he answered it correctly.

Hiei eventually turned his attention back to the lesson when he grew bored.

After the lesson finished the teacher approached Minamino and spoke to him for a moment. Hiei gathered that the teacher was offering him extra help. Minamino smiled up at her politely and thanked her.

During the next class Hiei was absorbed in his work when a soft voice said, "Mr. Jaganshi?"

Hiei turned to see the redhead looking in his direction.

"Hiei," he said curtly.

Minamino's eyebrows rose. "Excuse me?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"My name is Hiei," the dark haired boy clarified. "Drop the formality."

Minamino smiled. "Hiei, could you please read what is on the board to me?"

Hiei sighed. "Sure," he said and proceeded to read out the equation that his math teacher had just written. Minamino took what Hiei assumed to be notes on his laptop as Hiei spoke.

As the bell rang for lunch, Hiei stood. "Come on," he said to Minamino. "I'll take you to the cafeteria." He waited for Minamino to put his laptop away and retrieve and unfold his cane. He moved up beside Minamino and impatiently took hold of the teenager's wrist and directed his hand to his arm. Minamino obediently allowed Hiei to weave him through the desks and out the door.

They were nearing the cafeteria when some older students stepped in front of them. Hiei stopped, Minamino also halting beside him.

"Who's your new friend, shrimp?" One of them sneered.

Hiei scowled. The insult was a common one though it was no longer accurate as Hiei had grown several inches during the last summer. Under any other circumstances the name-calling would have been enough to start a physical fight but Minamino's hand was still on his arm. In fact, the other boy's hand had tightened around it. Hiei looked over at him to see that he wore a worried frown.

"I don't have time for your shit today, Shishi," Hiei told the older student.

"Too bad," Shishi sneered. His eyes moved to Minamino, who remained still beside Hiei. "Who's the fairy boy?" His friends snickered from behind him.

Hiei rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a new, loud voice.

"Hey! There you are, man. What took you so long?" the voice boomed. Minamino jumped as an arm looped it's way around his shoulders. "Get going, guys. You can dance with Hiei later."

"Dance?" Hiei scowled angrily. Shishi wore an identical look of indignation and disgust on his face. He spun on his heel and stalked off, his friends following him. The newcomer's laugh rang through the hall.

"You okay, buddy?"

The voice was directly in Minamino's ear, making him wince.

After a moment of silence, Hiei said, "He's talking to you, Minamino. He doesn't give a shit about me."

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you," Minamino said.

The arm removed itself from his shoulder and Minamino relaxed. "I guess you're the new kid," the stranger said. "I'm Yusuke."

"It's nice to meet you, Yusuke." Minamino smiled in his direction.

"Come on," Hiei growled, starting to move forward again. Minamino followed him with Yusuke trailing them.

Hiei led Minamino to the counter in the cafeteria and helped him to get his lunch as he got his own. Yusuke hovered near them, eyeing Minamino curiously.

"Something funny?" Hiei demanded as he stopped beside Yusuke.

"Well, yeah," Yusuke admitted. "I've never seen you treating anyone this nice."

Hiei glared at him. "It's not your business," he snapped, continuing past Yusuke to their table.

Several students were already seated at the table. Hiei showed Minamino to an empty seat and took the one beside him. Yusuke sat down beside a brown haired girl. She was his girlfriend Keiko Yukimura. Also sitting at the table was a boy with his hair styled in an orange pompadour which Hiei privately thought was hideous. He was Kazuma Kuwabara, Hiei's former roommate and his sister's boyfriend. The final student was his sister Yukina. She smiled sweetly at her brother in welcome.

Before she could speak, Yusuke cut in. "The shrimp's made a new friend," he announced. "Go on and introduce him, shorty."

Hiei glared at Yusuke. "His name is Minamino," he said before filling his mouth with salad in an attempt to deter further conversation.

"Please call me Shuichi," the redhead said.

"You already know me," Yusuke said. He shot Keiko a pointed look and it took her a moment to realize that he wanted her to introduce herself.

"I'm Keiko," she said finally. "And this is-" Yusuke elbowed her and she cut off with a squeak.

"You next, idiot," Yusuke told Kuwabara.

Hiei looked up from his lunch long enough to be sure that Yusuke was not addressing his sister in such a disrespectful manner before resuming eating again.

"I'm Kazuma Kuwabara," the orange haired boy said, though he looked a little confused.

"I'm Yukina Korram," Yukina said, smiling shyly at Minamino. "I'm Hiei's sister," she added.

Minamino smiled brightly at them. "I'm pleased to meet you all," he said.

"It's such a shame you ended up with the shrimp as a guide," Kuwabara told him. "He's such a nasty little midget."

"Kuwabara!" Yukina admonished. Kuwabara immediately turned red as he began to plead with her.

"You've never had to live with him," he told her. "He's so grumpy all the time."

"Yeah, like you don't put fuel on the fire," Yusuke muttered.

"The two of you have never lived together?" Minamino asked in confusion.

"Our parents died when we were young," Yukina explained. "We were adopted by different families but recently my family helped me find Hiei."

"That's wonderful," Kurama said. "You were both very lucky."

"Yes, we were," Yukina said. "We're even able to attend the same school now."

"So what'cha gonna do about Shishi and his little gang, anyway, Hiei?" Yusuke asked.

"Mind your own business," Hiei said grumpily. "It's got nothing to do with you."

"When they try to draw other people into it, it becomes my business," Yusuke snapped. "If you're gonna be hanging out with Minamino then you make him a target as well. You gotta do something about it."

Hiei scowled. "Like what?" he demanded, irate.

"Like tell a teacher?" Keiko interjected uncertainly. She glanced nervously at Yusuke.

"They never believe me," Hiei sneered at her. "They always blame me for starting it."

"Maybe you shouldn't antagonise them so much," Kuwabara muttered under his breath.

Hiei stood, annoyed with his friends. "I don't need this," he snapped before leaving the table.

Yusuke sighed. "Stubborn little bastard," he muttered, picking at his lunch with an annoyed frown.

"He's not exactly little anymore," Keiko pointed out. "If things get physical again this year like they did last year then he might actually seriously hurt them."

"He might be the one that gets seriously hurt if they gang up on him," Kuwabara pointed out. "Even Hiei can't take on four or five guys at once. They have no sense of honour."

Yusuke turned to Keiko. "Your class is near Hiei's, right?" he asked. "Can you take Minamino back there after lunch?"

"Sure, but why?" Keiko asked in confusion. "Doesn't he know the way?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Yusuke asked, frowning at her.

"Isn't what obvious?" she asked blankly.

Minamino laughed quietly. "What Yusuke means is that I am blind," he informed her, smiling kindly.

"I'm so sorry," Keiko exclaimed. "I didn't realise."

Minamino waved off her apology. "It's all right," he said. "I would appreciate some help finding my classroom again. I'm not sure I remember the way correctly yet."

"Of course," Keiko said. "It's not a problem at all."

"Thank you," Minamino told her.

"I guess you're also Hiei's new roommate, as well," Kuwabara said. "Good luck with that."

"I'm sure we'll get along fine," Minamino said, though his voice gave away that he wasn't entirely confident in that prediction.

-0-

 **A/N:**

I should say that I am not entirely blind so I really don't know how blind students usually handle classroom situations. I do know, however, that it is possible. What I've included in this story isn't fact. It's a guess as to how I would handle it if I were in that situation. I do have experience using a white cane, as I regularly use one, but I still am able to read, provided the text is large enough. And it's also been a long time since I've been in a classroom and I imagine the technology is much better than it used to be.


	3. Chapter 3

Keiko walked Shuichi back to his classroom. She glared at Hiei as he took his seat beside the other boy.

"You can't just march off in a huff every time someone says something you don't like," she told him.

Hiei glared up at her. "I can do what I like," he informed her.

Keiko left for her own class with an irritated sigh. Sometimes she didn't understand why Yusuke was friends with someone as difficult as Hiei.

After class Shuichi hesitated beside his desk. He wasn't sure if Hiei was still in a bad mood from lunchtime or not. He wondered whether he should say something to him or not.

"Come on, Minamino," Hiei said impatiently. "Get your stick."

"Shuichi," the redhead muttered as he unfolded his cane.

"What?" Hiei asked in confusion.

"My name. It's Shuichi," the teenager reminded him. "You don't have to keep calling me Minamino."

"Whatever," Hiei muttered.

Hiei showed Shuichi to their dorm room. Sometime during the day Kuwabara had removed his things. What Hiei presumed to be Shuichi's bag sat on the bed that had formerly belonged to Kuwabara. Hiei was very glad that he didn't have to room with his sister's boyfriend anymore. He'd had nightmares about the cat posters the other boy had hung up.

"Do you need help unpacking?" Hiei asked him as he watched the redhead familiarise himself with the layout of the room.

"No, thank you," Shuichi responded. "It's better if I do it myself. Otherwise I can't find anything."

That made sense, Hiei thought.

It didn't take Shuichi long to unpack. He hadn't brought much.

"Why are you starting here in the middle of the year, anyway?" Hiei asked him.

Shuichi sat on the bed facing Hiei. "My mother remarried and moved here to be with her new husband," he said.

"Then why aren't you living with them instead of boarding?" Hiei inquired.

Shuichi frowned. "My stepfather already has a son just a little younger than me," he said. "For a long time it's just been mother and I. I suppose I want her to have the time and space to bond with her new son."

"I really don't understand your reasoning," Hiei muttered, shaking his head. "It's your home, too."

"I guess it doesn't make much sense," Shuichi said, "but it's how I feel. And I think the experience of living away from home will be good for me."

"That sounds like a more reasonable excuse," Hiei admitted.

"What about you?" Shuichi asked. "Why are you staying here?"

Hiei flopped back onto his bed, hands beneath his head. "Nowhere else to go," he said.

"What about your sister's family?" Shuichi asked.

"They're nice, I suppose, but they aren't my family," Hiei told him. "I think this arrangement is better for everyone. Besides, Yukina boards here too. She wants to be with her friends."

Shuichi smiled. "So I guess it's a good arrangement for all of us," he said.

Hiei shrugged. "Yeah. Suppose so."

-0-

Hiei awoke to the sound of sobbing coming from across the room. He slid out of bed and made his way over to Shuichi. In the moonlight he could see that Shuichi was huddled under the covers, body shaking with sobs. Hiei laid his hand lightly on the boy's shoulder.

"Shuichi?" he asked. "Shuichi? Are you awake?"

Shuichi jerked, trying to pull away from Hiei's hand with a gasp. When he turned his face toward Hiei he could see that it was wet with tears.

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

"Nothing," Shuichi choked out. He scrambled out of bed and started for the door.

"Hey, where are you going?" Hiei called, grabbing his arm and halting the other boy.

"To the bathroom," Shuichi said, tugging his arm from Hiei's grasp.

"Do you remember the way?" Hiei asked.

"Yes," Shuichi said flatly. Hiei had no way of knowing if he was lying or not so he gave up. It wasn't his problem anyway. If the other boy didn't want help, then he didn't want help.

"Wait," he said. He went to Shuichi's desk and grabbed the cane that sat on the surface. He shoved it into Shuichi's hand a little rougher than was necessary.

"Thanks," Shuichi muttered. He exited the room, closing the door behind him. Hiei heard him unfolding the cane and then making his way down the corridor. He got back into bed and tried to sleep.

The redhead returned some time later, waking Hiei from a light doze. He said nothing to Shuichi as the other boy got back into bed. Hiei could tell by his breathing that he remained awake for some time before falling asleep. The rest of Hiei's night was restless.

-0-

The next day was similar to the first except that Keiko was waiting for them outside their classroom when they went to lunch.

"Yusuke asked me to walk you to the cafeteria," she told them.

Hiei growled at her but she was unaffected.

"Why?" Shuichi asked curiously.

"Ah, well, I'm nearby and…" she trailed off, unable to verbalize a response.

Hiei shook his head. She wasn't a very good liar. She should at least have come up with a good story before meeting them.

"Yusuke thinks that Shishi and his thugs will jump us again," Hiei curtly informed Shuichi. "Though I don't know what good he thinks Keiko will do." Hiei scowled at the brown haired girl, who scowled right back, clearly offended.

Shuichi was oblivious to the expressions on their faces. "Are they really bothering you that much?" he asked Hiei.

"I can handle them," Hiei said firmly as he led Shuichi along the hall, Keiko walking by his other side.

Shishi did not confront them on their way to the cafeteria. In fact, they never even saw him or his cronies. Shuichi enjoyed a pleasant lunch with the group. This time they were joined by another friend of Keiko's named Botan. Shuichi liked her immediately. She had a chipper, cheerful voice. She seemed like a very optimistic person and Shuichi enjoyed listening to her.

Halfway through lunch he began to feel a little queasy. He stood up, unfolding his cane, which had been resting on his lap.

"What's wrong?" Kuwabara asked curiously from beside him.

"Nothing. I'll be back shortly," Shuichi told him. "I'm just going to the bathroom." He must have eaten something at breakfast that didn't agree with him.

"Can you find it?" Yukina asked in concern. "Would you like someone to go with you?"

"I'll be fine," Shuichi told her. "I know it's right by the bins." He made his way slowly through the mess of chairs and tables, hitting their legs with his cane as he weaved in between them.

Shuichi made it to the bathroom just in time. He threw up everything he'd eaten that day and then washed his face thoroughly and rinsed his mouth. After emptying his stomach he felt better. He was about to leave when he heard the door open.

"What do we have here?" a familiar voice sneered. "It's Hiei's new boyfriend."

Shuichi refused to back away, though he wanted to. "I'm not his boyfriend," he told Shishi. "We barely even know each other."

"You don't need to be best buds to screw," Shishi pointed out. "Who's on the bottom? You or him?"

Shuichi had had enough. "Excuse me," he said, trying to edge around the other boy. Shishi grabbed the cane from his hand and threw it to the side. Shuichi heard it clatter on the ground. Shishi grabbed his upper arm and got into his face. Shuichi could feel his breath on his skin. He kept his head raised and refused to move back, not wanting to show any weakness.

"Little fairy boy," Shishi sneered. "I bet you're on the bottom, right? That's how you pretty boys like it, isn't it?"

"Let me go," Shuichi said firmly. Shishi's free hand grazed over Shuichi's hip and squeezed his butt cheek. Shuichi couldn't help the squeak of indignation that escaped his lips. "Let. Me. Go," he said again, enunciating every syllable clearly.

the door banged open behind them and Shuichi let out a relieved breath.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, man?" Yusuke's voice boomed through the room.

Shishi released Shuichi's arm and turned, smiling sweetly at Yusuke. "Just getting to know the new kid," he said in a friendly tone.

"Fuck off," Yusuke told him flatly. Shishi scowled and strode towards the door.

"Say hello to Hiei for me," he said as he left.

"You can say hello to my fist, you creep!" Yusuke called after him. Shuichi couldn't help but laugh, despite the situation.

He felt Yusuke's hand on his shoulder. "Everything okay?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"Yes, I'm fine," Shuichi told him.

"Good. That guy's a real arsehole," Yusuke told him. He moved away from Shuichi and retrieved his cane from the floor. "Here you go," he said. Shuichi took it back gratefully.

They left the bathroom together and returned to the lunch table where Kuwabara was showing Yukina pictures of his cat. Hiei was rolling his eyes at the orange haired boy. Yusuke immediately started making fun of Kuwabara, taking care to verbalize what Kuwabara was doing to be sure that Shuichi didn't miss the joke. Surrounded by laughter and kindness, Shuichi found that what had happened with Shishi in the bathroom no longer seemed like a big deal. Probably not even worth mentioning to Hiei. After all, Hiei and Shishi already had bad history. Why make it worse?

-0-

That evening Shuichi re-entered the dorm room after having a shower. He'd not brought his cane with him as he felt he was familiar enough with the area to not need it. He regretted that, however, when he tripped over Hiei's chair.

"Shit!" the other boy exclaimed, rushing over to help Shuichi up.

"Shouldn't I be saying that?" Shuichi asked, trying to make light of the situation.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I forgot and left it out," Hiei apologized as he helped Shuichi to his feet.

"I'm fine," Shuichi told him. "No harm done. Ah, you can let me go now."

But Hiei was frozen, staring into Shuichi's beautiful green eyes. He had his arm around Shuichi and the redhead's face was inches from his. A strange feeling came over him. Before he'd even thought about his actions he leaned forward and kissed Shuichi on the lips.

Shuichi momentarily stiffened in surprise. Hiei thought for sure that he would pull away, but then he opened his mouth, allowing Hiei to deepen the kiss. He pressed close to Hiei, taking hold of his hips. they stood there in the middle of the room, lips locked together in a passionate kiss until Shuichi had to breathe. He pulled away, cheeks burning red.

"I ah, ah…" he said uncertainly.

Hiei's own cheeks were red, he knew, but Shuichi couldn't see them. Shuichi looked absolutely adorable with his blushing cheeks and wet lips. Hiei kissed him again.

This time when they parted, Shuichi wore a small smile on his face. "That was… sudden," he said shyly.

"I'm sorry," Hiei said. "I just… you're…." He couldn't explain it. Couldn't explain that Shuichi was the most gorgeous guy he'd ever met.

"Oh, dear," Shuichi sighed. "Look at us. Both acting so awkward." His smile widened in self-deprecation.

Hiei laughed. "I suppose there's no reason to, is there?" he said.

"Certainly not," Shuichi said. He bent and began to gather the clothes he'd dropped on the floor when he fell. Hiei bent to help him. Shuichi put them away in his laundry basket and then started on his homework. Hiei left him to his work. He wondered how things would change between them from now on.


	4. Chapter 4

Hiei was confused when Yusuke met them with Keiko the next day as they left their classroom to go to lunch. Shuichi knew why he was there, though.

"You must've skipped class to get here so quick," Hiei told him. Yusuke's class was some distance away from theirs.

Keiko frowned at Yusuke.

"It was art," he grumbled, striding along beside them with his hands in his pockets. "Such a waste of time."

Keiko shook her head. "While it isn't the most useful of subjects," she admitted, "you still shouldn't skip it, Yusuke."

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mum," he muttered.

They passed Shishi in the hall with several of his friends but he ignored them. It seemed they were too big a group for him to mess with. Kuwabara joined them just before they got to the cafeteria, panting.

"What happened to you, man?" Yusuke asked.

"Teacher asked me to take some books to the library for him," Kuwabara said, an irritated frown on his face. "Why did he have to do it at lunchtime, anyway?"

"Yeah, can't miss that disgusting cafeteria food, huh, Kuwabara?" Yusuke teased.

Kuwabara balled his hands into fists. Hiei halted, making sure Shuichi was well out of the way if the boys got into a scuffle.

"Shut up, Urameshi," Kuwabara snapped.

"Oh, look, there's Yukina," Keiko said suddenly, her voice laced with false brightness. Hiei shot her a confused look. He couldn't see Yukina anywhere. He quickly realised what she was doing, however, when Kuwabara's expression shifted from angry to love-struck in record time.

"Where?" he asked, searching the cafeteria for her.

"She's not here yet, idiot," Hiei told him. Kuwabara's face fell and he gave Keiko a hurt look. She did look a bit sheepish but Hiei thought that on the whole, she was unrepentant. Yusuke was smirking. Hiei elbowed him, warning him without words to keep silent. If he opened his mouth, no doubt another fight would start.

Everyone took their seats, Yukina and Botan joining them just after they sat down.

"What's everyone doing on the weekend?" Yusuke asked.

"Studying," Keiko said. "With Yukina and Botan."

The other girls nodded in agreement.

"Me, too," Shuichi agreed.

"Boring," Yusuke declared. "I'm going to the arcade."

"Yusuke, you have a test next week," Keiko reminded him.

"It's not 'till Thursday," Yusuke protested.

Keiko sighed, giving up.

"What about you, Hiei?" Shuichi asked him.

"Don't know," Hiei shrugged. "Probably studying as well."

Yusuke threw up his hands. "You're all boring," he said. "Hey, Kuwabara, you'll come with me, right?"

"Yeah. I can come on Saturday," Kuwabara said, "But I have to study on Sunday."

"Great," Yusuke said. "The rest of you squares can just drown in your books."

Shuichi laughed quietly at the other boy's attitude. He thought that Yusuke wasn't the sort of person he'd ever expected to be friends with but he liked the other boy despite that.

-0-

Hiei stretched out on his bed glad that the week was over. Shuichi entered the room and set his bag on his desk.

"Hiei?" he asked as he shrugged out of his jacket and put it on the back of his chair.

"Over here on the bed," Hiei muttered.

Shuichi turned and walked to Hiei's bed, sitting down on it. His hand quickly found Hiei's arm. To Hiei's surprise, he then crawled on top of him, straddling him.

"Hey," Hiei protested, but without much feeling. He found he liked the sight of the redhead sitting on top of him. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a tantalizing view of his chest. His hair was loose and some of it fell forward over his shoulders. He ran his hands over Hiei's chest, fingers playing with the buttons of his shirt. He began undoing them slowly, one by one.

Hiei liked to watch the other boy's expressions when he was with him. There was something arousing about knowing that he could observe Shuichi but Shuichi had no idea what expression was on his own face.

When he tired of Shuichi playing with his shirt, he reached up and tugged on the redhead's shirt, pulling him down for a kiss. Shuichi offered no resistance. His mouth tasted of cherry chapstick. Hiei found he liked the taste.

He was so lost in devouring Shuichi's mouth that it took him some time to realise that Shuichi was grinding his hips against him in a rhythm that was sending jolts of pleasure through Hiei.

When Shuichi pulled back a little, a moan escaped Hiei's lips. Shuichi's green eyes were hazed with pleasure and his lips were parted as he panted. Hiei kissed him again, burying his hands in Shuichi's long red hair. He thought that he could stay here in this moment forever.

Then Shuichi shifted, his hand moving to undo the button of Hiei's pants. Hiei's breath hitched. He pushed Shuichi off him.

Shuichi let out a startled cry as he rolled off Hiei. Hiei scrambled off the bed. Shuichi sat up, resting his weight on one arm.

"What?" he asked, confused and hurt. "i thought…"

Hiei took several deep breaths, leaning on his desk chair for support. "I'm sorry. I… It was just too fast, okay?"

"Too fast?" Shuichi frowned. "I thought it was what you wanted."

"Well, it's not that I don't want it, it's just…" Hiei didn't really know how to explain it. "I'm not ready," he finally said. "I mean, we've only been together for a couple of days."

"I'm sorry," Shuichi said quietly. "it's just… my ex-boyfriend and I… Well…"

Hiei scowled. He didn't like hearing that Shuichi had an ex. But rather than pursue that repulsive subject he asked, "You've done this before? I mean, you've had sex before?" He felt incredibly awkward and embarrassed asking that question.

"Yes," Shuichi admitted. "I guess we did take it too fast. I didn't realise that you were inexperienced. The way you kissed me…"

Hiei shook his head, even though he knew the redhead wouldn't see it. He sat back on the bed. Shuichi edged away from him and Hiei felt a pang of guilt.

"I really like you," he said, in an attempt to soften the blow. "I'm just not ready to take things that far yet."

"I understand," Shuichi said. His head was lowered, his hair hiding his face.

In an attempt to change the subject, Hiei asked, "So what happened with you and your ex, anyway? Why did you break up?"

Shuichi's head shot up. "We didn't break up," he snapped.

Hiei's eyes widened. "But you said he was your ex," he reminded Shuichi.

"He died," Shuichi muttered, lips turned downward into a frown. His eyes glistened and he wiped at them angrily.

Oh, shit, Hiei thought, wishing he could take his question back. It was too late now. He had been stupid to ask it in the first place.

"I'm sorry," he said, touching Shuichi's arm. He flinched. "How did he die?"

Shuichi abruptly stood up and crossed the room to his own bed. "I don't want to talk about it," he said, not turning around to face Hiei.

"Okay," Hiei said. He knew better than to press for information. His curiosity had led him to take it too far already. Shuichi was obviously upset enough as it was. The evening had started out so well, but as usual, Hiei had ruined it. He sighed, wishing he could start over. Maybe Shuichi would feel better in the morning and things could go back to being how they were before.


	5. Chapter 5

Shuichi was startled when he came back from studying at the library on Saturday to find Yusuke talking with Hiei in his room.

Yusuke was seated on Hiei's desk chair, one leg resting on the other. Hiei was sitting on his bed and looking displeased. Yusuke looked guilty when he saw Shuichi enter.

Shuichi, of course, didn't see their expressions, but he heard the way that both of them abruptly stopped speaking when he entered the room.

"Hello, Yusuke, Hiei," he said, frowning. "Weren't you going to the arcade today, Yusuke?"

"Ah, yeah," Yusuke said awkwardly. "Ah, I'm gonna go now."

Hiei shot him a dark look as he bolted for the door. "bye, Shuichi," he said as he left.

Shuichi turned back to Hiei. "What was that about?" he asked as he set his cane and bag on the desk.

"Why didn't you tell me that Shishi was bothering you?" Hiei demanded.

"Because it only happened once," Shuichi said, feeling defensive.

"You should have told me," Hiei accused.

"Nothing happened," Shuichi snapped. "I can take care of myself."

"Look, you don't understand," Hiei told him. "Those guys are bad news. They aren't afraid to hit people and you being blind won't stop them."

Shuichi's pretty face scrunched up into a scowl and Hiei winced. He was noticing that Shuichi had a stubborn streak. He hid it better than Hiei did but it was there all the same.

"Stay out of it," he told Hiei. "I'll handle it."

"Like hell you will," Hiei muttered. Shuichi shot him a dark look but Hiei said nothing further and Shuichi turned away from him, annoyed.

For a relationship that had seemed so promising before, they certainly seemed to be getting on each other's nerves a lot lately, Hiei thought. He hadn't expected things to get so complicated so fast. Why couldn't Shuichi be a little less stubborn and just accept help?

-0-

That afternoon Hiei left the dorm room and gave Shuichi no explanation. He was worried that he'd upset his roommate but he didn't regret what he'd said. He'd meant it. He wanted to handle Shishi by himself.

When Hiei returned, it was after dinner and Shuichi was getting seriously worried. He was relieved when he heard the door open and Hiei's steps thud into the room. But there was someone with him.

"Idiot," Yusuke's voice said. "What the hell made you think you could take on five guys, anyway?"

Shuichi hastily turned in his desk chair as he heard Hiei plop down heavily on the bed.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"He got into a fight with Shishi and his minions," Yusuke said. "Dumbass." Shuichi assumed that the last comment was directed at Hiei, not himself.

"Is he okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," came Hiei's angry voice. "And stop talking about me like I'm not here."

"Dumbass," Yusuke said again. "Takanaka Isn't going to be happy about this."

"Don't care," Hiei muttered.

"I told you I could handle it," Shuichi snapped at him.

"Don't you start, too," Hiei retorted. "it wasn't about you."

"Bullshit," Yusuke muttered. Shuichi agreed. He stood up and left the room, annoyed that Hiei had gone behind his back and done exactly what he'd asked him not to do. He went outside and sat at one of the tables. He felt tears prick his eyes and he laid his head down on his crossed arms on the tabletop to hide his face as he cried.

-0-

When Shuichi left, Hiei stood to go after him. Yusuke stopped him. "Leave him alone, man," he said.

"He didn't take his cane," Hiei said. Though really it was just an excuse and Hiei knew it. So did Yusuke. He pushed Hiei back onto the bed.

"He'll be fine, but I don't think he wants to talk to you just yet," Yusuke told him. "He was pretty upset. Give him some time alone."

Hiei privately thought that was a bad idea, but Yusuke wasn't going to back down. And his face really hurt. He hadn't had the chance to examine his injuries for himself in the mirror yet but he was sure that one eye was black. His lip was split and he had bruises on his stomach where one of the arseholes had kicked him.

He scowled and flopped back on the bed.

"You didn't solve anything, you know," Yusuke pointed out, his voice lower than it had been as he sat in Hiei's desk chair.

"Someone had to do something," Hiei told him.

"You know I'm all for kicking someone's arse when they mess with me," Yusuke said, "but Shuichi asked you not to. All you've succeeded in doing is upsetting him. Was it really worth it?"

"If it were Keiko what would you do?" Hiei asked him.

Yusuke laughed. "Step back and let her kick their arses," he said. "She's got a mean slap."

"Bad example," Hiei muttered, disappointed.

Yusuke stood. "Get some rest, man," he said. "You'll probably get another lecture from Takanaka tomorrow."

He left the room. Hiei lay there for a long time until Shuichi returned. It was after dark and the other boy's eyes were red-rimmed. Hiei began to feel guilty.

"Shuichi?" he asked, as Shuichi burrowed under his covers.

Shuichi froze but didn't respond. Hiei went on.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to upset you." Shuichi made no reply, just shifting slightly to get more comfortable. Hiei sighed. Why did he always manage to fuck things up with the beautiful redhead?

He crawled out of bed and turned off the light. Shuichi never noticed whether it was on or off but Hiei had left it on while he waited for him to return. He got back into bed and tried to sleep despite the pain in his face and his heart.


	6. Chapter 6

Hiei cornered Shuichi the next afternoon. Shuichi had been giving him the silent treatment all morning, working on his laptop and wearing his headphones.

Hiei plucked them from his ears and took hold of Shuichi's arm, turning him in his chair to the side. He sat in his own desk chair facing him.

"We need to talk," he told Shuichi firmly, ignoring the angry expression on the redhead's face.

"No, we don't," he said.

"I don't see what the big deal is," Hiei said. "Yeah, I beat them up but-"

"That's not what Yusuke said," Shuichi interrupted. "He made it sound more like they beat you up, but you started it."

Hiei was annoyed but he bit back an angry retort. He suspected that Shuichi was trying to make him mad so that Hiei would forget about the talk he wanted to have. Hiei wouldn't be manipulated so easily.

"Why were you so upset?" he asked. "It's not the first time I've tangled with those guys and it probably won't be the last. I wasn't even seriously hurt."

Shuichi scowled. "You went behind my back," he snapped. "I asked you not to."

"I apologised," Hiei returned. "But you're still mad at me. Why?"

Shuichi looked down. Hiei's attention was drawn to his hands resting in his lap and he realised they were shaking. He reached out and grabbed hold of them, squeezing gently.

"Talk to me," he said as gently as he could. Tears began to spill down Shuichi's cheeks. He shook his head. He tried to pull his hands free but Hiei held on.

"Come on, it's just the two of us," Hiei said. "It's fine."

Shuichi made a choking noise. Then he spoke, "Kuronue," he said.

"Huh?" Hiei asked in confusion.

"My ex-boyfriend," Shuichi said. "He died in a fight."

"Oh, fuck," Hiei muttered. "No wonder you're upset." He suddenly felt horrible. He'd dragged up some terrible memories for Shuichi.

"He was defending me," Shuichi explained. "Some guys had dragged me into an alley. I guess they wanted to rob me or something. Kuronue came and tried to stop them. One of them hit him over the head with a broken bottle. He died because I couldn't help him."

"I'm sorry," Hiei said quietly.

"I guess that's part of the reason why I wanted to come here," Shuichi admitted. "Too many memories."

"Well, I'm glad you're here," Hiei told him. Shuichi smiled a little. "Do you want me to leave you alone for a little while?"

Shuichi nodded and Hiei stood up, patting his shoulder before he left. Shuichi needed a little time to get his emotions back under control and Hiei suspected that he wouldn't want an audience while he did so.

While he walked around the campus he tried to think of some way to make Shuichi feel better. Eventually his steps led him back to the dorm. An idea struck him and he decided to visit Yusuke. He would need some help with it.

-0-

After school on Monday, Shuichi was surprised when Hiei dragged him to the gym.

"What are you up to?" he demanded suspiciously as Hiei tugged him through the doors.

"Hey!" Yusuke called to them from across the room. "Over here!" He stood on a mat. Beside him was Kuwabara and a small woman Hiei knew was the PE teacher, Genkai. Shuichi had not yet met her as he didn't participate in PE.

"Hey, Shuichi," Kuwabara said as they approached.

"Put that cane away for now," Genkai told Shuichi as they stopped in front of her. "You won't need it."

"The grumpy old bitch is the PE teacher, Ms. Genkai," Yusuke informed Shuichi. She snorted derisively.

Kuwabara took Shuichi's cane and set it off to the side of the mat.

"What's going on?" Shuichi asked, confused.

"These idiots think you need to learn how to defend yourself," Genkai informed him. "I think they're right."

"But, I'm blind," Shuichi said awkwardly.

"That's not an excuse," Genkai told him. "Not if you put in the necessary work."

"You'll teach me?" Shuichi asked uncertainly and hopefully.

"Why else would I be here?" the old lady muttered.

Shuichi began to smile. "I never… I mean, I never thought I could learn," he admitted.

"The girls want to learn, too," Kuwabara informed him cheerfully. "But Genkai wants to start with you on your own first for a while."

"You'll be kicking Shishi's arse yourself in no time," Yusuke told him. "Can you imagine his face?"

"No," Shuichi said, his smile widening. "I've never seen his face."

"I can," Hiei muttered. A sadistic smirk played across his face.

"You three, get off the mat," Genkai ordered. They obeyed, leaving Shuichi to Genkai's mercy, of which she had little, he discovered.

By the end of the first session, Shuichi was sore and he just wanted to go back to his dorm and curl up on his bed. But he couldn't keep the grin from his face as they left the gym.

The grin vanished however, when his cane caught in the grass. "Ow!" he yelped in surprise and pain as the handle jabbed him in the stomach. He stopped to rub his stomach.

"Are you okay?" Hiei asked.

"Yeah. Happens a lot," Shuichi said, adjusting his grip on the cane and beginning to walk again.

"Thank you," he said to Hiei as they continued back to the dorm. "I think this is one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me."

"It's nothing," Hiei muttered, embarrassed. Shuichi caught his arm and Hiei faced him, confused.

"I'm serious," he said. "Don't just brush it off." Then he leaned forward, his lips seeking Hiei's. They brushed Hiei's nose awkwardly for a moment before he found Hiei's mouth and kissed him.

"People can see us," Hiei informed him when he pulled back.

"Good for them," the redhead said, unconcerned. Hiei laughed and kissed Shuichi lightly again. Everything felt right again between them. Shishi and his group suddenly didn't seem like a big deal. Shuichi was happy and that was all Hiei cared about. They walked back to the dorm together, arms around each other.

END


End file.
